Botanical Drawing, A Beginner’s Guide Reviewed in The Botanical Artist Volume 4, Issue 1 – March 2008

We are excited to announce that Wendy’s workbook for students is at the printer and will be ready for shipping in January. The price is not quite finalized but will be between $60 and $70. The workbook is 26 lessons in graphite and colored pencil. Each lesson will appear at the top of the spiral bound book and the drawing paper for graphite lessons, or water color paper for colored pencil lessons is included. The spiral can be opened and closed to add and delete sheets. Refills of paper will be available for purchase.The initial print run is for 100 copies. Orders will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

Please send us an e-mail if you are interested in purchasing this book. Books can be shipped or picked up in the NYC studio. Call or e-mail if you have additional questions: 212-580-4855.

Wendy Hollender

Trip price for 6 nights accommadations,  full breakfast and either lunch or dinner plus  5 days Workshop fee is  $1800. Ground Transportation and  airfare not included. Partners not participating in workshop welcome at $1400.

This will be a small intimate workshop due in part to the location. Only a few spots available. Couples welcome. If interested (read details below) please let me know as soon as possible!

View from porch at Holualoa Inn

Shampooing with the ginger plants

I recently returned from Hawaii where I visited my daughter who is working on an organic farm on the Big Island. While there I found a great location for a botanical workshop. Believe it or not, February is just around the corner and most dates are already taken. Hawaii is paradise on earth, especially for the botanical artist. I have come up with a wonderful location on the  west coast of the Big Island.

The Holualoa Inn is 1000 ft above sea level with a view of the sunny beaches of Kona in the distance. It is located on a coffee plantation with mango, avocado, fig, and countless other fruiting trees. The gardens are lushly planted with many kinds of ginger, some that can be used for shampoo ( note the photo of my son doing just this) hallaconias, and countless other tropical flowers. The inn itself is gorgeous. We will be taking over the entire inn. Please go see for yourself at there website: www.holualoainn.com

I stayed four nights and never wanted to leave. The small village of Holualoa is an artist’s community and while there we will also be able to learn the ancient Hawaiian technique of decorating gourds (photo enclosed) by one of the local artists. The Kona coast is a 15 drive down a paved (thanks to being in the good old U.S. ) road.

The focus of the trip is to be close to botanical subjects to draw, and they are everywhere. The colors and light in Hawaii is brilliant. The inn has  open air roof covered porches for us to work in. They are outside but protected from the sun and occasional rain which often happen at the same time in Hawaii!

 Participants may want to stay longer and visit other parts of the Big Island. I would be happy to make recommendations. TheHawaii Tropical Botanical Garden at: http://www.htbg.com  is impressive. I have never seen a more lush expansive garden anywhere. The Hallaconias were something like30 feet high.

Volcano National Park seems like visiting another planet and there are many great beaches ,excellent snorkeling and hiking everywhere.

I have checked airfares and right now it appears to be approximately $650 – $750. I anticipate an additional $150 – $200 in ground transportation.

Flights from the U.S. are usually connecting either in Atlanta or California. The total in- air flying time is approximately 12 hours. There are some direct flights to Kona.

Ancient Hawaian technique of gourd decorating

Thanks!

Wendy Hollender

Wendy Hollender will be teaching the next “on location” Botanical Workshop on Block Island. The island is a 7 mile by 3 mile island off the coast of Rhode Island, 13 miles out at sea. It is a picturesque, lovely, lush, pastoral environment with wild flowers, goldenrod, and many fruiting berries and trees as well as beautiful gardens. The host for the workshop is Block Island resident Beth Rowe. Beth is a professional landscape designer and a student in the Botanical Illustration program at the New York Botanical Garden. She has found us a quaint and historic Bed and Breakfast to accommodate students at a fabulous rate. It is called Hygeia House and is walking distance to town and has a view of the harbor. http://hygeiahouse.com/

There are beaches in walking distance everywhere, or you can bring or rent a bicycle. We have space for the workshop at the Hygeia House but also will work at different locations on the island. Beth has offered her lovely garden and a friend of hers has offered there large barn and beautiful garden as well. The barn is huge and can accommodate us if the weather gets wet. We have also been invited to lunch by the Block Island Gardeners at their annual “Edible Luncheon” at the Spring House, where I will be the guest speaker. The week after Labor Day is beautiful and much quieter, as most of the crowds have left. Transportation on the island is taxis and bicycles. Ferry leaves from Pt. Judith, Rhode Island and New London.

Workshop will start on the afternoon of September 4th.

Three nights at the Hygeia House

Workshop all day on September 5th and 6th.

We depart on September 7th.

The ferry is approximately an hour to an hour and a half ride.

We can plan car pools to the ferry from New York and Connecticut.

Workshop price as follows:

Workshop fee is $250 for the 3 days.

Room accommodations are from $50 – $90 depending on a double or single room. Breakfast included.

Other meals will be in town. Beth has offered to cook one night at her home!

Round trip ferry is approximately $30

Accommodations available for 15 or 16. Bring a guest if you like. They don’t have to take the workshop!

Enrollment for workshop: 15

Please let me know if you are interested. Payment schedule will be sent once you decide to go. A deposit of $50 will be collected to reserve a spot. Refundable up until mid August.

This should be great fun and a great way to end the summer and begin the fall!

Hope you can make it!

Workshop allows students to work in the medium of choice with emphasis on graphite and colored pencil and water color underlayers if desired. Individual attention given to each students needs and interests and level of knowledge of techniques of botanical drawing.

Imagine having lush flowering and fruiting plants at your fingertips, yet still have the comfort of a comfortable roof over your head and delicious local food served at each meal. It’s a way to work intensely on drawing and studying tropical plants, and experience the natural beauty of the Rain Forest in a relaxed manner. The staff at Asa Right Nature Center is friendly, knowledgeable, and the food prepared in the kitchen is delicious. Each day started with coffee and tea on the veranda at 6am for those wanting to get a look at the morning birds, breakfast at 7:30am, lunch at noon, tea at 3pm, rum punch at 6pm and dinner at 7pm. In between we worked, hiked, and swam. We spent two nights at the beautiful Blue Waters Inn on Tobago to draw the beach flora and hiked along remote tropical cliffs.

I am exploring ideas for next year’s workshop. So far I am thinking Tuscany, Dominica or Hawaii. Where would you like to go? Please Post Comments here and Let me know !!!!

Wendy Hollender

Spring Classes are starting at New York Botanical Garden. Wendy Hollender will
be teaching some of the classes.

For those of you who have never taken a class before and would like to get
a sense of what botanical drawing is all about this two day workshop is a great
way to start. No past experience necessary. A love of nature is a plus.

Plant Drawing for Naturalists

Have you ever wished you could remember the details of a plant long after you
saw it? Using principals of botanical illustration, learn to quickly and accurately
make drawings of plants. Proportion, perspective, and keen skills of observation
are developed. Practice drawing plant components including branches, stems ,
leaves and parts of a flower. Draw in graphite pencil and colored pencil.

Class: SP BOT 145 2 Sundays, April 22 and 29 10am – 4:30 pm
Course information can be found on New York Botanical Garden’s website
Call to register at: 718-817-8747

About the program:

Botanical Art and Illustration encompasses a wide variety of techniques for
depicting botanical subjects in fine art, scientific illustration, and technical
design. The Garden offers two Certificates, Botanical Art (track 1) and Natural
Science Illustration (track 2). You can work towards a Certificate or enroll
in individual courses. Beginners as well as those with previous art experience
are welcome. Study botany and art in both the garden setting and the classroom,
while making use of the exceptional library and horticultural resources of this
world-class institution.

Wendy’s additional teaching schedule below:

Drawing 1: BIL 301 Section C
Monday thru Thursday, July 9-12
10 am – 3pm

Drawing 2: Plants BIL 302 Section A
Monday thru Thursday July 16 – 19
10 am – 2pm

Drawing Flowers BIL 303 Section A
6 Wednesdays April 4 – May 9
10 – 1pm

NEW! Leaves: Beyond Green BIL 319
2 Thursdays April 12 and 19
10 – 2:30pm

Illustrating Woody Plants Throughout the Year BIL 322
Thursday August 2
10 – 3:30pm

NEW! Botanical Recipes in Colored Pencil BIL 345
4 Thursdays Sept. 20 – October 11
10 – 1pm

Colored Pencil 1: Techniques BIL 415 Section B
Monday – Wednesday July 30 – August 1
10 – 3:30pm

Colored Pencil 2: Applications BIL 416 Section B
Monday _- Wednesday August 6 -8
10 – 4:30 pm

Back by Popular Demand! Computer Applications for Botanical
Artists BIL 920

Thursday May 10, 10 – 2:30pm

Drawing plants and flowers starts with observation. Developing your ability to see detail and translate your observations to paper takes practice. Mastering basic skills of scientific illustration drawing will help take away some of the confusion and mystery of making realistic and dimensional looking drawings.

In this one day workshop, students will learn techniques of toning from light to dark to create the illusion of three dimensions on a two dimensional surface as well as techniques of perspective drawing used in making realistic drawings of flowers. Students will work in graphite pencil on drawing paper.

Fee for students currently enrolled at Westchester Community College: $100 Ref. Ref: #A509. Others: $125 Ref. #A510. A complete schedule for art courses and special workshops can be found here.
If you are interested contact:

Westchester Community College
Westchester Art Workshop
White Plains
914-606-7500
waw@sunywcc.edu